Higher Secondary Examination

Higher Secondary Examination (also known as the HS and the Uchcho Madhyamik) is a centralised examination conducted by the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education at the end of the plus two level for students studying under the board at West Bengal. More than half a million students from all over the state take the test, the number increasing every year. A total of 6 subjects (First Language, Second Language and 4 subjects of the student's choice) are tested for every student from the syllabus of the 12th grade, each carrying having 100 marks. There is both theoretical and practical examinations. Subjects are usually divided into 4 main 'streams': Science, Liberal Arts, Commerce and Vocational, though mix-n-match combinations are also sometimes seen. Before 2007, every subject had two papers of 100 marks each and the syllabus was both 11th and 12th grade.